Pike spearing for Otsego Lake?

January 30, 2009|By Chris Engle, HT Staff Writer

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GAYLORD — Otsego Lake could eventually open to wintertime pike spearing as fisheries biologists with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) review restrictions which currently ban the sport on 37 lakes across the state.

DNR biologists are in the process of hearing public opinion on the issue, and will hold a meeting March 4, 7 p.m., at the Northland Sportsmen’s Club in Gaylord to discuss the topic.

A move by the Natural Resources Commission last year gave the Fisheries Division the authority to make such changes to fishing regulations. If changed, Otsego Lake would not open to pike spearing until April 1, 2010 at the earliest, thus allowing spearing the following winter. Otsego Lake’s spearing ban has been in place since 1937.

“We’re going through a process right now of reviewing our spearing regulations statewide to see if they’re biologically justified,” said Steve Sendek, fisheries manager for the Grayling DNR office, who oversees water bodies in the AuSable River Watershed.

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Two other lakes are being considered to have their spearing bans lifted. Cornwall Flooding in Cheboygan County, according to Gaylord DNR fisheries biologist Tim Cwalinski, holds no pike and the ban could be lifted just to get the regulation off the books. On West Twin Lake in Montmorency County, a spearing ban placed 30 years ago to protect tiger muskie planted there no longer applies as that species — a cross between northern muskie and northern pike — cannot reproduce and has disappeared from the lake.

Big Bear Lake, north of Lewiston, will not be opened to pike spearing because the DNR plans to plant northern muskie in the lake to serve as brood stock for the rest of the state, according to Sendek. The ban will remain in place to protect the muskie — a similar-looking fish to a northern pike but one which must be 42 inches to keep, compared to a pike’s 24-inch size limit. However, Otsego Lake received plantings of 20,431 northern muskie in 2006; and another 6,990 in 2008. DNR fisheries technician Brian Hoxie said it will be several years before those muskie reach the 24-inch range and beyond, and said it will be up to the spear angler to properly identify the fish before casting their spear.

Sendek supports the idea of opening Otsego Lake to spearing, saying there’s no evidence spearing has any more impact on a lake’s pike population than regular hook-and-line or tip-up fishing. Beginning April 1, hook-and-line anglers will be allowed to use three lines per person; currently, only two lines are allowed. He feels this also opens up more opportunities to anglers.

“Hook-and-line anglers harvest way more fish than spear anglers. It won’t have any significant impact on the fishery at all but it will provide more opportunity.”

Sendek is conducting the March 4 public meeting at the club, located at the corner of West Otsego Lake Drive and Old Alba Road, in Gaylord.

“If I had any belief that wintertime spearing on Otsego Lake would be detrimental to the population I wouldn’t even consider bringing it up,” he added. Hoxie agreed.

The daily bag limit for pike is two, 24-inch fish.

Critics say spearing could hurt population

By Chris Engle, HT Staff Writer

GAYLORD — Those opposed to opening Otsego Lake to pike spearing argue the sport could diminish the lake’s pike population within a few years, negating efforts by volunteers to maintain the population through use of a pike spawning marsh.

Evans called Otsego Lake “unusual,” compared to those much larger lakes, and guessed 90 percent of Otsego Lake is shallow enough for spearing which, according to him, provides too much opportunity for spear anglers to take big fish.

Additionally, Evans believes spearing would undermine the efforts of NSC volunteers — in cooperation with DNR fisheries technicians — of maintaining the lake’s pike population through use of a pike rearing marsh at the north end of the lake. In that project, adult pike are netted in the spring and transferred into the marsh where the fish spawn and lay eggs; and pike fry are allowed to grow to about 2 inches before being released back into the lake in the thousands.

“We’re trying to keep the pike at a good population with that project. People spearing are looking for nothing but big fish and that’ll take all the breeding stock out of the lake,” Evans said.

DNR fisheries technician Brian Hoxie said it’s that very same marsh which works to the advantage of Otsego Lake.

“Otsego Lake is unique,” Hoxie said. “We have that marsh which we can flood and expand from maybe 2 acres to 3 1/2 acres depending on how many pike we want in there. That’s a real plus.”

Hoxie, who is at the marsh almost daily when it’s operating in the spring, said the 2008 year produced a bumper crop of baby pike.

However, Evans added that, during some fishing outings in his shanty out from Otsego Lake State Park, he’ll see 10 large pike pass by his hole and avoid his lure.

“I could spear every one,” he said.

The club, located at the corner of West Otsego Lake Drive and Old Alba Road, will be the site of a public meeting on the topic March 4 at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.